


Beach Dreaming

by butch_fairy



Series: Ash vs. The Universe [3]
Category: Ash vs Evil Dead (TV)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29507757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butch_fairy/pseuds/butch_fairy
Summary: The gang finds the hidden commune and Kelly has -cringe- feeeeeeelings.
Relationships: Kelly Maxwell/Original Character(s)
Series: Ash vs. The Universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2012866





	Beach Dreaming

**Author's Note:**

> Yes this is mostly conversation but Kelly needs some character development ok? I’m not sorry.

"Wake up you lazy freeloaders." Ash's voice startled Pablo awake immediately, his head snapping off the passenger seat.  
"Are we there?" Pablo looked around at the dusty wasteland before them.  
"How would I know? I drove to where our new... friend told me to go and there’s been nothing around for the last hundred miles.” Ash snapped, his belly rumbling in protest. 

Pablo looked at the landscape then turned around in his seat.   
"Hey you gu-" his voice was cut off as he laid eyes on Aureil and Kelly. Aureil's head rested on Kelly's shoulder, their mouth open as they snored softly in their sleep. Kelly's long brown hair draped over their shoulder as she used the top of their head as a pillow. Pablo's chest tightened at the sight of them so…. close. He had always been fiercely protective of her, within good reason of course. Helping someone go through the never ending trauma of an apocalypse could do that. He cleared his throat loudly, averting his gaze as Kelly's eyes opened lazily. Her head lifted off of Aureil, who was still soundly asleep. 

"What is it?" She yawned, looking out the window. Fueled by low blood sugar, Ash turned around and threw an empty beer can at the half demon.  
"Wake up monster mash, where the hell are we?"   
The can hit them squarely in the forehead and they groaned loudly before sitting up. Rubbing the tender spot on their head, they scanned the dust land before the Delta.   
"Put the car in neutral" Aureil instructed. Shifting the gear stick, Ash took his foot off the pedal and reclined in his seat.   
“What now?” Ash asked, his fingers tapping the steering wheel. Then, without warning, the car began to slowly slide off of the demolished road by itself. Kelly and Pablo’s eyes widened as the Delta seemed to drive itself, slowly sliding through the sand. 

_Thank God for these off roading tires the robot broad gave me_ Ash thought, lifting his hands off the steering wheel. 

“What’s going on?!” Pablo cried, sticking his head out the window.   
“Just wait,” Aureil instructed. The gang watched the car shuffle farther from the road before it came to a complete stop. Exchanging confused looks, Ash turned and grabbed the door handle impatiently.  
“No, stay in the car” Aureil snapped, grabbing Ash’s shoulder tightly. Before he could respond, the car began to sink into the sand.

“My CAR!!!!” Ash cried out in shock. Kelly gasped loudly, clutching the head of the passenger seat. Pablo whipped his head back and forth as the car went deeper and deeper into the sand, the tires now completely covered.   
“We’ve been fighting deadites for ten years and now we’re going to die by quicksand?! What kind of Looney Toons shit is this?!” Pablo cried, grabbing the Santa Muerte pendant around his neck. 

“Everyone JUST CHILL!” Aureil barked as chaos unfolded in the Delta. The gang stared out the window, their eyes wide in terror as the sand consumed the doors of the Delta.   
“We shouldn’t have trusted them Ash I knew it!” Pablo blurted out, his eyes darting around the car manically. Ash ignored him and focused on not getting any sand in the interior of his precious vehicle. He rolled up the windows just in time, the sand covering them completely. Kelly shut her eyes tight, dreaded claustrophobia beginning to bubble up in her chest. 

_Fuck fuck fuck…… Pablo was right……_ The car was completely devoid of light now, the only sound Pablo’s jumbled prayers.   
“You demon fuck-“ Ash’s voice rang in Kelly’s ears. She could hear Ash scuffle in his seat before Aureil cried,  
“Ow ow ow- Just WAIT!” Then, from behind her eyelids, she could make out a light. Opening her eyes, she gasped at the sight in front of her. The Delta had sunk underground, except not into a quicksand pit of death. The car was being lowered on a platform, the walls around them metallic now instead of sandy. She watched Aureil rip their arm out of Ash’s grasp as they began to explain. 

“It’s a magnetic platform you dummies, you didn’t think I was going to murder you via sand did you?” They spit venomously, rubbing their arm. The gang fell silent in awe as they went deeper and deeper into the ground. They shielded their eyes as light overcame them. 

It took a second for Kelly’s eyes to adjust. Blinking slowly, she gasped as her surroundings became clearer. The metal walls that enclosed them had opened into a brightly lit cavern. The underground commune was absolutely massive. Most communes were the size of a small apartment building, housing about a hundred people each. The underground facility around them was easily the size of a football field. She looked out the Delta windows excitedly, taking in the incredible sight. She had never seen anything like it.

“The Ephiny commune is entirely underground,” Aureil explained, looking out the window. “That’s how they’ve been about to flourish without fear of the deadites.”   
There were several empty armored vehicles surrounding them. Lights from several small brick buildings glowed brightly in the foreground of the cavern.  
"Ho-Lee-shit" Ash murmured, staring at the secret society before him. 

A violent **bang** erupted from the back of the Delta. Everyone in the car jump out of their seats.  
"What the hell!? Nobody touches my baby like that-" Ash growled, whipping his head around to see the commotion. A tall figure emerged from behind the car, machine gun in hand.   
"Oh fuck…" Pablo whispered as the figure bent down, knocking aggressively against the driver's side window. 

" **Show yourselves or you'll look like swiss cheese in about 7 seconds!"** The man bellowed, peering inside the Delta. He had a motorcycle helmet on and from what Kelly could see, riding gloves too. Thick ones that could easily protect the skin in case he wanted to bust the window open. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Kelly could hear her heartbeat as her hand slid under the car seat to find a small hidden handgun. Ash already had his hand on his shotgun. 

Aureil scurried between the front seats and crawled over Pablo, stumbling to unlock the car door. The door finally swung open and Aureil spilled out of the Delta, kicking Pablo in the face as they fell to the ground.

"Wait wait wait wait!!!" They cried, their hands in the air as they knelt in front of the gunman. "Jadau it's me Ari!!" The gang watched as the man stared down at Aureil, his finger still on the trigger. The man stepped closer to Ari, gun still pointed towards them. He slowly bent down, meeting Ari's gaze. Pablo and Kelly held their breaths, ready to jump into action. 

" **Aureil**!?" The voice boomed from underneath the helmet. The man holstered his gun on his back and grabbed his helmet, quickly lifting it from his head. Kelly was surprised to see the handsome face underneath. He had a short black buzz cut, his eyes and skin a beautiful dark brown. The man's intense gaze met Aureil's, a look of disbelief on his face. Scanning the person before him, Kelly watched as his face softened. His eyes began to gleam, his furrowed brows relaxing as he recognized the face of an old friend. 

"It is you!!" Dropping to his knees, he grabbed the lanky demon in his arms and held them tightly. Nearly having the wind knocked out of them, Ari huffed but couldn't help but grin widely as their arms were pinned against their sides in a massive bear hug.   
“I never thought I’d see your scrawny ass over here again!”  
Aureil laughed, “I didn’t either, but there was a change of plans.”

Ash, completely starved and exhausted, swung open the car door and looked over the roof of the car.   
"I hate to break this little family reunion up, but if I don't get a beer and a burger around here someone is going to lose a limb." Pablo and Kelly followed Ash and stepped out of the car. The man let go of Aureil and they both stood up, goofy smiles plastered on their faces.

"This is Jadau. We've known each other for a long time" Aureil explained. "Jadau these are my new… traveling cohorts. Ash, Pablo, and Kelly." Jadau nodded politely, extending a hand to Pablo.   
"Sorry about the welcome, we don't get visitors…. Ever around here!" He chuckled as Pablo shook his hand nervously. "Any companions of Ari's are welcome here. Please come inside!" He motioned towards one of the buildings. Kelly watched as he and Aureil walked forward, the half demon looking incredibly small next to their well built friend. The two were jabbering on like little kids, jumping from one topic to the next excitedly. 

"Guess they haven't led us into certain doom yet, ey Pablo?" Kelly teased, placing her arm around his shoulders as they followed behind Ash. Pablo shot her a small smile, his eyebrows furrowed with feigned irritation.   
"I suppose not. I'm surprised you're giving me shit though. Aren't you usually the one that's all about stranger danger?" Kelly was surprised by his comment and frowned a little, meeting his eyes.   
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
"Nothing." Pablo answered, averting his gaze. "I just haven't seen you make a new….. friend in awhile. It's only been like, a day and you're already trusting them to navigate us into the middle of the desert…."  
"Well, we're safe aren't we?" She snapped, removing her arm from his shoulder.   
"Ya, I guess we are." His voice dropped, ending the conversation. The two walked the rest of the way in silence. 

____________________________

Ash was more than ecstatic to find the commune had quite the array of meal options that weren't granola bars. The gang was welcomed with open arms as the residents hadn’t had guests in years. Pablo, Kelly and Ash were taken to the communal dining hall immediately, graced with plates of fresh steamed vegetables, fruits, and even rabbit and chicken kabobs. Aureil had left without eating, attempting to find clean clothes that weren't covered in body fluids. Jadau sat with the gang, explaining how the self-sufficient underground society had come to be many years ago. 

"This place was a military base years ago. My grandfather was a high ranking sergeant, and when the Apocalypse happened he took in as many families as he could in the surrounding areas. Sent out radio signals so that people could find us. Eventually it got too dangerous and Deadites were beginning to find their way into the camp. We went stealth to protect our people." 

Ash, barely listening, crammed another rabbit kabob in his mouth. "This is pretty good!" He mumbled, cheeks full. "Where do you get this stuff?"  
Kelly rolled her eyes at him, sipping her water as she looked around curiously.   
"We raise our own small game. Chickens and rabbits, it's not a lot of meat but we've acclimated to mostly plant based diets." Jadau answered, chomping a carrot in half. “We have a greenhouse that has lights that mimic the sun's rays. The soil down here is actually very fertile, compared to the outside world. Can’t grow shit out there.” 

“And how are you able to get beer?!” Ash asked, picking up his glass and inspecting it in his hand. “We actually brew it ourselves. We make wine too!” Jadau grinned proudly, pointing at a door across the room. “Most people here don’t drink though except on special occasions. Most of us just smoke.”   
Ash, Kelly and Pablo whipped their heads around and stared at Jadau slack jawed.   
“You smoke…..” Pablo started, cheeks full of salad.  
“WEED?!” Ash cried out in excitement, causing the patrons at the table next to them to glance over.   
“Of course! Nicotine’s evil y’know” Jadau laughed. “We grow our own plants and everything. We use it mostly to help with pain management.”  
Ash turned to Pablo and placed his hand on his shoulder. For a moment, Pablo thought Ash was going to cry.  
“Pablo, we’re in heaven.”

Kelly was amazed at the commune. Her and Pablo’s home commune had depended mostly on foraging to stay alive, resulting in constant casualties. The small commune was made up of mostly drifters they found who usually died or took off within a matter of weeks. They were focused on only one thing, survival. But here, this was a whole new world. Around her children ran and played, people talked and joked at the dinner tables joyfully. 

_People are able to have…. real relationships here._ A few days ago she didn’t think that was even possible. The nightmare that had been her life ever since Ash showed up had all but killed her hope in… basically everything. But seeing this sanctuary, hearing people laugh, and eating real cooked food almost put her at ease. 

She looked over Ash as he chugged his beer, recognizing a familiar face walking towards them. Aureil, now clad in baggy grey sweatpants and an oversized ‘The Cure’ t shirt, smiled and waved at her. Their freshly wet hair was no longer a mess but instead brushed back, their sharp features emphasized under the fluorescent lights. Ash turned his head to see what Kelly was staring at and chuckled lowly.   
“Oh look, Kelly’s demonic fuck buddy is here.”   
Kelly glared at Ash, kicking his shin swiftly under the table.  
“Ow!” He hissed, spilling beer on his shirt.   
She smiled back and felt her heart quicken as they sat next to her. 

“How’s dinner?” They asked, picking a slice of chicken off Jadau’s plate.   
“No complaints. You're alright kid, even if you are half deadite.” Ash raised his beer, smiling before he took a long swig. Pablo stared down at his food, picking at it silently.   
“That’s good!” Aureil smiled, wiping their hand on their pants. “Sorry it took me so long to get down here. I had to shower, I couldn’t stand smelling like blood and cum stain anymore.”   
“I’m sure Kelly is disappointed she missed that,” Ash mumbled into his beer. Kelly’s eyes glared daggers at him, her cheeks growing bright red. Aureil couldn’t help but let out a small snicker before slapping their hand over their mouth, turning away in humored embarrassment. This was the final straw for Pablo. 

“Jadau, can you show me to my room? I’m getting, um, really tired.” His words seeped with irritation as he deliberately avoided eye contact with Kelly. A painfully awkward silence fell over the table. Finally, Jadau cleared his throat and nodded, standing up from his seat.  
“No problem, I should uh, probably hit the hay too.” He smiled, picking up his empty plate. “We’ll see you guys in the morning. Ash, do you want to come with us too?”   
Ash nodded his head, patting his stomach.   
“Would there be a chance you could show me to the…. pharmacy?” He brought his pointer finger and thumb to his mouth, pretending to inhale. Jadau grinned and waved his arm invitingly.   
“Have fun kids” Ash winked, standing up and placing an arm around Jadau’s shoulder. “So what strains are we talking about here….?” Kelly heard him inquiry as they exited the room. 

“Don’t mind them” she sighed, focusing on her food bashfully. “Ash makes a sport out of publicly humiliating me.”   
Aureil smiled, taking a carrot from a bowl in the center of the table.   
“Don’t let it bother you, I can tell he does it out of love. The way you two banter I thought he was your dad.”  
Kelly chuckled, meeting their gaze. “Ash, MY dad? If I was from that gene pool I would have offed myself already.” She took a sip of her water, memories of her father popping up in her head. 

“My parents died pretty immediately after Ash showed up.”   
Aureil nodded empathetically, listening intently. “I’m really sorry.” She felt their eyes gently trying to read her. She turned her gaze away, pretending to study the architecture around her.  
“Ya, watching your mother turn into a deadite before stabbing your dad in the eye with a fork is pretty life changing.” Her words came pouring out like a broken faucet, her own blunt response surprising her.  
 _Damn Kelly, over share much?_

“Fuck” Aureil answered, taking a sip out of the cup Pablo left on the table. “Is that why you’re hell bent on taking down the Dark Ones?”  
Kelly met their gaze and lifted an eyebrow sarcastically. A controlled flame burnt deep within her eyes.   
“Well it’s a pretty damn good reason, don’t you think?”   
Aureil simply nodded and looked down at the cup. She could see them trying to think of what to say, trying their best to avoid stepping on conversational broken glass.

“Do you really think it’s possible?” Aureil finally asked her. “You don’t think it kinda seems like a suicide mission?”  
Kelly laughed out loud, slapping her hands down on the table. “So what if it is huh? What else are we supposed to do until we die? Forage like raccoons, hiding in the shadows like sitting ducks? What kind of life is even worth living right now?” Her smokey voice raised slightly in irritation.

Aureil smiled softly, raising an eyebrow. “You’re right. I admit, it's been a while since I’ve met someone as heroic… or maybe as suicidal as you.”   
Kelly chuckled, rolling her eyes.“Are heroes nothing but suicidal?" Her laugh was sarcastic, but Aureil could hear a hint of affection behind it. "Most heroes end up dying, or having the ones they love the most dying. Thus is life, I suppose."

"Beautifully said, written like a true greek tragedy." Aureil grinned at her, raising the cup dramatically. Kelly couldn't help but flash a smile at them, a real smile this time.  
"What, you’ve never fought for something important? Never had a purpose so strong you'd die for it?” She took a sip from her cup, watching them intently.

Aureil shrugged, rubbing the back of their neck. “There was a time where I thought I did. But sometimes what you think is right for you in the moment…. isn’t what's really the best for the future. Or for anyone around you.” They tore their eyes from Kelly’s. "Sometimes a purpose can destroy you from the inside out. Like a disease." The tension in their voice was obvious. They were silent before turning back to her, their tone more lighthearted. "That's why my purpose now is to vegetate until I die. Much less painful." 

Kelly wanted so badly to pry, to ask what Aureil had meant. Something about their tone when they spoke about it urged her not to.  
“Let’s say that we do defeat evil. For good” Aureil picked a piece of chicken off her plate and turned to her, popping it in their mouth, their voice casual again. “What are you going to do afterwards?”  
“Afterwards?” Had she even ever thought about that? To her, a future without deadites and constant death was unimaginable. Daydreaming was a luxury she couldn’t afford, much less had time to do.  
“I think I’ll worry about that when the time comes,” she answered. “I’m kinda focusing on the apocalypse at hand. Not everyone has the power to turn into a biblical entity, you know. I have plans to worry about, staying alive is exhausting. ” 

Aureil grinned, leaning back in their chair. “You don’t have even one dream? Just because I can get the shit kicked outta me by a deadite doesn’t mean I don’t fear…” they made their voice go low and wiggled their fingers in a crypt keeper fashion, “the inevitability of death and whatever endless void may come afterwards.” They went to snatch another piece of chicken off her plate, but Kelly snatched it out of their hand and tossed it into her mouth.  
"Why do you want to know? Are you trying to psychoanalysis me or something Freud?" She flashed them a smile. 

Feigning offense, Aureil placed their hand on their chest and gasped.  
"First of all, how dare you compare me to that mother fucker. Second of all….." they moved their face closer to Kelly's coyly, "Are you really so suspicious of me that you think my attempt at flirting is me trying to find your super secret embarrassing weaknesses?" 

Kelly's bright brown eyes widened in surprise. Embarrassment washed over her, her cheeks burning hot as she struggled for a comeback.   
"How'd you know?" They teased. Kelly could only smile bashfully, averting her eyes. The cup in front of her had become incredibly interesting. 

_They're so cute……  
_ _"_ Well, maybe….." She clicked her nails against the clay cup, her mind searching for the right answer. She lifted her eyes and smiled gently, her voice soft and dreamy. "I want to go to the beach again. When I was a kid we used to go every summer for my birthday. It was my favorite part of the year, seeing my cousins and stuff. I really miss it." 

Emotions flooded her as this long uncovered memory appeared in her mind. The smell of salt water, the feeling of the freezing cold waves washing over her, the sand melting to her body like the world's biggest tempurpedic mattress.

Now, the beach was in a different world. The coasts had been struck by tsunamis caused by the Dark Ones, tearing the towns apart effortlessly. Staying Midland had been the only option for anyone who wanted to survive. No one lived within a hundred miles of a beach now. 

Aureil smiled, their soft green eyes admiring her as she spoke. Her lips, seemingly always in a pout, hypnotized them as she spoke. Her voice, usually hard and sarcastic, was beautifully tender. Their heart fluttered as her plush red lips turned into a smile.  
"We'll go to the beach then. When this is all over, we'll find a big sunny beach and you can stay there as long as you want." They clapped joyfully, a sharp toothed grin spreading over their face. "You said you went for your birthday? Whens your birthday?" 

Their smile was infectious, making Kelly laugh. "August 8th. Why, do you keep a calendar?"  
Aureil leaned back in their chair again, raising an eyebrow. "Nooooo, I just needed to know your sign. Leo? Makes a lot of sense." Kelly snickered, rolling her eyes and groaning playfully. Their striking gaze caught heres, locking her in place

  
Every minute that passed with this stranger felt like a lifetime, yet never long enough. She realised her muscles had relaxed slightly, the constant pain and anger gnawing at the back of her mind silencing when they spoke. The feeling she had at the rave began to bloom in her chest. The unfamiliar feeling of comfort, of safety. It warmed her like the yellow down blanket she had as a child, it felt like  
 _Home.  
_ The foreign thought shocked her. She felt a knot begin to tighten in her stomach, anxiety rising in her throat. She had dealt with every negative emotion under the sun, usually multiple at the same time, but this feeling of lightness was absolutely _terrifying._ A switch flipped in her brain, snapping her back to reality.  
 _Nope._

"I think I should be getting to bed" Kelly feigned a yawn, stretching her arms up as she looked around the room. "It was a busy day, being consumed by quicksand and almost being shot by your friend and what not."  
She watched her sudden change in tone visibly confuse Arueil, but they quickly nodded in response.   
"Oh, sure of course" their smile was uncertain as they stood up from the table. "I can show you…."  
"No its okay" Kelly cut them off, standing up quickly. "You stay and catch up with your friends, I'm sure I can find the sleeping quarters." Her words were blunt and rushed.  
Aureil looked at her, keeping their smile as they tried to hide their confusion.  
"No worries. Down the hallway to the left there should be an empty room with the door open, it's all yours."   
Kelly smiled forcibly and nodded. "Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned and left quickly without looking back, her boot heels clicking urgently down the hallway. 

_____________________________

Kelly was delighted to see the glass shower in her room. She would have to remember to get her clean clothes in the Delta, but for tonight she wanted to simply shower and go the fuck to sleep. She treated herself to a shower that felt like it lasted 3 hours, then finally settled between the clean cotton sheets naked. 

_What are you doing Kelly? This isn't like you._

The last time she felt even sort of like this was with Dalton, and that didn't last very long. Forming relationships was a liability in this reality. Ash said it best, the people you love the most end up dead. It had been a miracle that Pablo had survived with her this long, but him being part necronomicon was the reason for that. And she had thought she had lost Ash, but the bastard showed up out of nowhere with a new hand and the same old "can do" attitude like he hadn't disappeared for over 10 years. They were her family, her loved ones. Why was this person who waltzed into her life while she was on acid giving her all of these feelings? Was it their green eyes that seemed to dive into her very being, their goofy smile with teeth that were a little too sharp? Was it the way they spoke to her, like there wasn't a whole ass war against humanity going on?

 _Stop.  
_   
She turned to her side, shutting her eyes.

 _You don't need one more person to lose. You're just exhausted and touch starved, that’s all._  
  
She refused to let her mind wander after that. She fell asleep quickly as she counted down from 1000.


End file.
